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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: can · plane · bound · current · field · board · rule · degree

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. board — to get on
  3. degree — temperature
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. degree — an amount
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. bound — tied together
  8. rule — a law
  9. current — of water
  10. current — happening now
  11. field — for sport
  12. can — a tin
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. can — to be able to
  15. board — a committee
  16. field — a subject
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. plane — a tool
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bound — certain
  21. field — farmland
  22. degree — from a university
  23. can — a tin
  24. rule — government

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com